Inside Microsoft - Case Study

Since the beginning of the PC market and the Internet boom, many companies have sought to have dominion in this ever-changing industry. However, how many corporations out there have what it takes to rise to the top? Bill Gates, with his technical savvy along with his Microsoft team had every intention of playing and winning in the new software game. A company that was once thought of as going to be killed by the internet did an about face and began to thrive and succeed in the Internet market.

Gates intensely became aware of how other market leading companies have stumbled when their top market executives failed to read the signs of fundamental change in their industries. Gates saw that mistake, tackled that problem and executed a strategy that caused him to focus on new opportunities where they totally missed it. People and organizations have a natural reluctance to embrace change. When the reputation of a company is on the line, change is necessary and should be initiated. Needed changes should not be delayed or canceled. Gates, in a sense can be seen as a charismatic leader due to the fact that he helped energize his organization to see the need for change and caused his organization to react quickly and make things work.

One other thing that can be learned is that a firm in a vulnerable and changing industry must be prepared to adjust if it is to survive. Microsoft had to adjust to the new business climate and modify their tactics. If they had not done so, I do not think they would have come out on top successfully. Microsoft proved itself to be the survival of the fittest and put into action a successful format in order to achieve great wealth.

the terminal course objectives that are applicable to this case are TCO A, C, D, and F. Next, I will give reason as to why these objectives are applicable to the case.

TCO A - Given an organizational and industry context, identify and suggest a strategy to facilitate the success of a technologically driven organization.

Microsoft is a technology driven organization. In the beginning, Microsoft was putting so little into the Net. It was clear to a group of competitors that if Microsoft did not pursue the opportunity it could have at the Net, then other companies such as Sun, Netscape, IBM, etc would get their chance to reset the rules on the Net. Gates reviewed the mistakes of other companies when their top leadership failed to read the signs of fundamental change. This forced Gates to come up with an Internet strategy that would cause Microsoft to be the leader in Internet support. Gates strategy was to use existing Microsoft products.

TCO C - Given a company situation be able to describe the key external and internal forces that influence an effective technology strategy.

Competition was the key external force that influenced an effective technology strategy.